No CBA could impact Fisher’s future

The lack of an NFL collective bargaining agreement could impact Jeff Fisher’s future in a couple of ways.

On the one hand, Titans owner Bud Adams might be more prone to hold onto Fisher because of the increasing likelihood of a lockout.

Why? The longer a potential lockout lasts, the more likely it is the number of offseason workouts are curtailed and the length of training camp is shortened. With the possibility of less preparation before the regular season, it would seem that new coaches – trying to implement an entirely new system – would be at a disadvantage compared to coaches such as Fisher, whose system is already in place.

That thinking may have played a part in the decisions by Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Houston to hold onto Marvin Lewis, Jack Del Rio and Gary Kubiak, respectively, in addition to the decision made by Minnesota to remove coach Leslie Frazier’s interim tag. Dallas appears headed in the same direction with interim coach Jason Garrett.

There’s also the money factor: Whether Adams chooses to keep Fisher or not, he’ll be paying him $6.5 million during a 2011 season that could be shortened – or canceled – because of a lockout. Would Adams really want to pay two head coaches to potentially twiddle their thumbs during a lockout?

On the flip side, the lack of a CBA could affect Fisher’s opportunities elsewhere in the league next season if Adams does fire him. As I mentioned above, a handful of teams that looked as if they might be in the market for a new head coach have instead chosen to stay the course through at least one more year of economic uncertainty.

What would be left for Fisher if he’s cut free by the Titans? Assuming Dallas hires Garrett, the remaining openings include San Francisco, Denver, Carolina, Cleveland and Oakland. Miami might soon get added to the list.

Fisher’s odds at landing one of those jobs could be decreasing as he continues to wait for word on his future here. But it’s not as if he’d be destitute without a coaching job for the coming season. He’d still make his $6.5 million and would doubtless emerge as a leading candidate for a 2012 position.